INFECTIOUS OPPORTUNITY

My friend and former roomate from college James Comtois is putting on his 17th NYC production, INFECTIOUS OPPORTUNITY, at the Brick Theater in Brooklyn as part of their Antidepressant Festival. It’s about a screenwriter who fakes being HIV-positive to boost his career. Whooa. Read it again. Yes, that's what it's about. This may be the show that sinks to lower levels than the Bush Administration. Brilliant. Here is a podcast about the show. Once I go see it I'll let you know my thoughts. There are only four shows, so make sure you get tickets early and don't miss this opportunity.

A Weekend of Theater

This weekend I went to see two shows, "Paper Angels" , directed by Victoria Linchong, and "Pretty Theft", directed by Twin Towers' own Anglea Astle. Both shows explored contemporary social issues in a concrete setting. "Paper Angels" deals with racism, unlawful internment and the nature of identity (are we more than what is written on our documents?) while "Pretty Theft" deals with idolization of the female form, the lack of justice for the rich and privileged, and the loss of innocence - to name a few. Paper Angels closed this weekend, but the University Settlement Performance Project has a great Spring Lineup, and I'll keep you informed as to what Direct Arts plans next. Pretty Theft runs through May 17th, check out the review in the New York Times.
Both productions made me realize how talented and creative the directors were, brining together all the costume, sound and lighting resources available to them. Paper Angels uses live music to accentuate some of the dramatic moments - I particularly liked when, during one conversation that takes place in Chinese, an ominous drumroll rises from nowhere as the Angel Island interpreter tells the lead character of her husband's suicide. The multimedia flashforward to present day San Fransisco, with live music and projected images, is also quite powerful. In Pretty Theft, the the female ensemble characters are all dressed as ballet dancers, mirroring the world inside Joe's head. Other characters have touches of pink beneath their clothes. The dancers are used in all the scene transitions, reminding us of the world we are in. Both plays use the space and the bodies of their actors with intent. In Paper Angels, the men and women are divided, the men inhabiting the left half of the stage, the women, the right. Both directors took the script and realized it in a unique way, leaving me thinking, "I never would have done it that way." I can't wait to see what Angela has in store for Twin Towers.

Exciting new production with a purpose

On Sunday I got a chance to shoot a promotional piece for another upcoming show called Paper Angels. The play is set on Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West Coast, and confronts issues of race, detention and immigration. We shot this image and three others in an antique shop in Chinatown called Sinotique (12 Mott street) where the owner Jan was able so supply us with everything necessary to recreate the formal portraits of the time period. We used real images as a reference and the final images were rendered in photoshop to look faded.

Direct Arts uses theater to educate and entertain, and I think the play speaks to contemporary American issues really well. Part of the production was funded by a grant, which proves that if you have a purpose, you can find a way to bring your vision to life. The end result is a beautiful production and some stunning images. Go see Paper Angels when it comes out!


Direct Arts in conjunction with The Performance Project @ University Settlement presents a workshop production of PAPER ANGELS by Genny Lim, Wednesday, 29 April to Saturday, 2 May 2009 for four performances only in New York's Chinatown district.

Location: Speyer Hall at University Settlement
184 Eldridge Street, bet. Rivington and Delancey
TICKETS: $18 adult, $15 student/senior
WEBSITE: www.directarts.org

TRUTH OR...CONSEQUENCES

Last night I shot some publicity pictures for another show called Truth or... Consequences. It was written by Brianne Hogan and Carla Lopez, and deals with some of the same themes as my show. You can see all the show listings at the Planet Connections Website.

New Show

I just got an e-mail from my friend James about a new show called Soul Samurai. James is my former roomate from college, an accomplished playwright and an avid theater blogger. Check out his blog, Jamespeak, for news about new plays that aren't boring (a category I've created).
Soul Samurai is sure to fit that description. If you haven't seen anything by Qui, run to see this show. His work is highly entertaining and insightful, hijacking popular genres to tell great stories. Soul Samurai starts this week. Get info and buy tickets here.